Effective August 11, 2011, Physician Assistants (PA) are required to post a Notification to Consumers. The notification informs patients that the PA is licensed and regulated by the California Physician Assistant Committee.
This type of notice was first required of California MDs in 2010. Over time, licensing boards of other California professions will mandate similar notices.
The requirement need only contain the following information in 48-point, Arial font type.
NOTIFICATION TO CONSUMERS
PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS ARE LICENSED AND REGULATED BY THE
PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT COMMITTEE
(916) 561-8780
WWW.PAC.CA.GOV
Physician Assistants may provide this notice by one of three methods:
- Prominently post a sign in the office so it is conspicuous to patients, in the specified type.
- Include the notice in a written statement and have the patient sign and date it. The statement should be kept in the patient's medical record.
- Include the notice on letterhead, discharge instructions, or other document given to a patient or patient representative, where the notice is placed immediately above the signature line for the patient in the specified, 14-point type.
The three options are designed to serve a multitude of practice settings, including emergency departments, skilled nursing facilities, and surgical settings.
Further information, including an 8 ½ X 11 sign suitable for posting, is available here.
Authored by
Waldene K. Drake, RN, MBA
Vice President, Risk Management & Patient Safety
If you have questions about this article, please contact us. This information should not be considered legal advice applicable to a specific situation. Legal guidance for individual matters should be obtained from a retained attorney.